A 69-year-old British landlord who instructed agents not to let his properties to people from India and Pakistan is facing legal action, UK’s human rights watchdog said on Wednesday.
Fergus Wilson, one of the UK’s biggest buy-to-let landlords, banned “coloured” people from renting his properties as they cooked curry and left behind lingering smell.
The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) confirmed that it had applied for an injunction against Wilson at the Central London County Court. “We have asked the court if it agrees with us that Mr Wilson’s lettings policy contains unlawful criteria and, if so, to issue an injunction,” said EHRC chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath.
However, Wilson remained defiant over his policy, which he justifies on economic grounds to save costs on re-carpeting homes that smell of Indian cooking once tenants have left. “Given that I have not had any Indian or Pakistani person apply for a house during the past five years, I am not sure what the EHRC seeks to achieve,” he said.
